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What if Bluefur stayed as a queen? (Mosspaw's story)
ThunderClan Leader—'Sunstar—ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes' Deputy- Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs Medicine Cat—'Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers' Warriors— Patchpelt—a black and white tom (apprentice, Sparrowpaw) Halftail—a dark brown tabby tom with half a tail (apprentice, Frostpaw) Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat Goldenflower- a pale ginger tabby she-cat ''' '''Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle (apprentice, Goldenpaw) Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail Whitestorm- long-haired white tom Runningwind—a swift tabby tom Queens— Petalfur—a gray tabby she-cat with white splashes on her pelt (mother of Darkkit, Willowkit, and Brindlekit) Leopardfoot- black she-cat (mother of Tigerkit, Nightkit and Mistkit) Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat (mother of Longkit, Mousekit, and Spottedkit) Bluefur—a blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Stonekit, Mistykit, and Mosskit) Snowfur- a white she-cat with gray tips on her ears (mother of Whitekit) Apprentices— Frostpaw—beautiful white she-cat with blue eyes Goldenpaw—pale ginger she-cat Sparrowpaw—brown tabby tom with white chest, white paws, and white tipped tail ''' Elders— '''Oneeye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf Stonepelt—a gray tabby tom Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears Crowflight—a dark gray, almost black, tom; oldest cat in ThunderClan Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom ' PROLOGUE Bluefur padded towards the stream, planning the destructive words she was about to speak. Every hair on her pelt; every inch of her heart, longed to turn back and let things stay as they were. Everything was so perfect like this. But deep down, there was an unignorable urge to do what was best for her clan. "Gotcha." a deep male voice purred, making Bluefur jump. "You have to stop that." she frowned. The reddish-brown warrior before her just purred again, a mischievious glint in his eye. "Stop what?" Seeing the look on his mate's face, Oakheart walked over to the she-cat and licked her ear affectionately. "There's no need to be worried. When will I get to see the kits?" he murmured. "You won't." the tom stared in shock. "Sorry?" "This is the end, Oakheart. We don't belong together." Bluefur hissed, her fur on end. Her body has shaking as much as her trembling heart. All the young warrior wanted to do was to give in to her longing for the Riverclan tom, but she couldn't. "I thought we said we didn't care? That they were wrong and we were following our hearts. I thought you that had always felt the same." Oakheart growled. "I was wrong. I'm a Thunderclan cat and you're Riverclan. Can't you see?" Bluefur was going to have to be harsh to make him accept it. "You said..." "I lied! You were just a bit of fun, a laugh. Me and my friends, we couldn't believe a Riverclan warrior, a fish-brained piece of crowfood, thought he was good enough for a Thunderclan cat." she didn't mean a word of it. What wouldn't she give to take back those cruel words? Suddenly, she knew. She wouldn't give her kits. Not. A. Chance. _________________________________________________________________________________ "Snowfur, you don't have to fuss. I'm fine, really." Bluefur snapped. "You said that last time. Remember, when you fell through the ice..." Snowfur replied, concern in her eyes. Bluefur interrupted her, anger flaring up inside her newly fragile body. "I was an apprentice. I was young, okay? I'm old enough to make descisions without you butting in." "Moonflower always said I was the descision maker..." "That was before you fell in love with Thistleclaw," Bluefur mewed harshly. Snowfur looked hurt, but didn't have the chance to reply. One of the other kits in the nursey started screeching in his sleep. Bluefur felt empathatic for the troubled youngster. She too was suffering. Her kits were starving, her clan was in danger, her love was no longer hers. Her heart ached for she knew it was her own fault. All down to her selfishness. If only she'd given up the kits! Oakheart would know she loved him still. The kits would be well-fed and safe. The clan would be safe and she'd be deputy. But she'd kept her kits out of selfishness. "Die, you stupid kittypet! Die!" it was Leopardfoot's kit, a tom. "Tigerkit, you're only dreaming. It's okay," Leopardfoot whispered. "Father went away! He's a kittypet!" wailed the kit, pawing at some imaginary opponent. Bluefur sat upright, shocked. This kits was delirious! She watched as Tigerkit shook himself roughly. "Sorry," he went back to sleep instantly. Bluefur turned to Snowfur. "Thistleclaw's going to bring down the Clan," she hissed. Her sister looked too tired to reply. "Who was your kits' father? Lionheart?" Snowfur indicated to Bluefur's sleeping kits. "Snowfur, there are some things a cat can't tell," Bluefur sighed. The white she-cat narrowed her eyes, obviously displeased by her response, but Bluefur was too tired and hungry to complain. The queens settled down, and, sighing, Bluefur drifted into a troubled sleep, fearful for the future of her clan. And rightfully so. _______________________________________________________________________________ "They're all gone!" Bluefur awoke to a troubled screeching. It was Petalfur. "What are?" she yawned, stretching her stiff limbs. "The kits!" Bluefur sat bolt upright. Petalfur was right. None of the kits were there. "So many kits kits! Gone!" Petalfur was shrieking. "Where could they be?" Snowfur raced across the nursery frantically. Bluefur's heart pounded. Where were her kits? "It's most likely they've run off to explore. Don't worry, I'm sending a patrol out now." Sunstar was mewing, and she could hear Redtail organising a patrol; Thistleclaw was out hunting. Bluefur was too dizzy to care. Where were her kits? "I'm going to find them." she muttered to herself. Before she knew it, she was racing in the direction the kits' scent led her. "Die, kittypets!" she could hear faint screeching, and wondered if she was hallucinating. Why would the kits be at Twolegplace? Confused, she raced towards the Twolegs nests. "I'm not a kittypet!" relief flooded her heart. The kits were here. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, pushing her way into their view. The youngsters squealed. Some cowered behind their littermates. Mistykit didn't respond. "Thistleclaw told us that we were allowed to come to Twolegplace on a special mission!" boasted Mosskit, not noticing the anger on her mother's face. "Yeah!" Darkkit squeaked. "Don't lie to me. Tell me what you're doing here," Bluefur had a sinking feeling. Were the kits telling the truth? "To lure out the Shadowclan cats that are hiding here! Just like warriors!" Mosskit went on. "Kits, what are you doing here?" a tom burst into view. It was Thistleclaw. "You sent us here, mousebrain," Longkit squeaked. "Coming here without permission is bad enough. Lying about it is even worse. You've got punishment coming, kits," snapped Thistleclaw. The kits hung their heads. All but Mistykit. She was lying limp on the floor. "What happened?" Bluefur screeched. "She just fell down. She's so hungry." Stonekit explained. The queen examined her daughter, and froze. Mistykit wasn't breathing. ________________________________________________________________ "Featherwhisker, how is she?" Bluefur demanded, pushing through the gathering of cats. "It's too early to tell." the medicine cat replied gravely. Bluefur looked in horror as her daughter lay in the moss, barely breathing. Her bones stuck out so much it was a wonder her pelt didn't rip. "Mistykit? Don't you want to play mossball?" Mosskit mewed, confused. Featherwhisker hissed. "Are you crazy? Keep those kits away! Or do you want them to get infected too?" Bluefur hung her head. "Mosskit, Stonekit, go and play with Whitekit." "He's playfighting outside the nursery. It's not fair. How comes Whitekit is allowed out the nursery and we're not?" whined Mosskit. "Play with Willowkit and Darkkit, then." Mosskit and Stonekit scuttled away, still moaning about their confinement to the nursery. Bluefur's eyes didn't leave her oldest daughter. She was vaguely aware of Featherwhisker, who was hurriedly bundling herbs down Mistykit's tiny throat. "Mother?" Mistykit whined softly. "What is it, Mistykit?" "I think I'm going to float away." she spoke softly. Her words made Bluefur shudder. They haunted her, chilled her right to the bone. "What is that meant to mean?" Bluefur yowled, looking desperately at Featherwhisker for help. "I'm afraid," he began softly. "I'm afraid StarClan has just sent us a message." ________________________________________________________________________________ ThunderClan Allegiances (uncanon to actual series) Leader—'Sunstar—ginger tom with golden stripes and green eyes Deputy- Thistleclaw—a gray tom with one white leg and three darker gray legs (apprentice, Mosspaw) Medicine Cat—'Featherwhisker—a silvery-gray tom with amber eyes and long, feathery whiskers' (apprentice, Spottedpaw) Warriors— Tigerclaw- a dark brown tabby with unusually long claws Willowpelt- a silver she-cat Frostfur- a white she-cat with blue eyes Bluefur- a blue-gray she-cat Goldenflower- a pale ginger tabby she-cat Darkstripe- a silver tom with dark stripes''' (apprentice, Longpaw)' Brindleface- '''a mottled grey tabby she-cat (apprentice, Mousepaw)' Dappletail—a dappled tortoiseshell she-cat Lionheart—a golden tabby tom with thick fur around his muzzle (apprentice, Stonepaw) Redtail—a tortoiseshell tom with a fluffy ginger tail Whitestorm- long-haired white tom Runningwind—a swift tabby tom Queens— Speckletail—a pale tabby she-cat (mother of Graykit (A/N, yes, this is Graystripe) and Lakekit) Snowfur- a white she-cat with gray tips on her ears (mother of Dredgekit and Dancekit ) Elders— Oneeye—a pale gray she-cat missing one eye; virtually blind and deaf Rosetail—a ginger she-cat with black patches Smallear—a pale gray tom with very small ears Patchpelt—a black and white tom ' '''Tawnyspots—a brown tabby tom ' ____________________________________________________________________________________ '''Mosspaw It was many moons since the day Mistykit died. ThunderClan was slowly falling apart. Bluefur had already fallen apart, and life had no meaning any more. She said hated StarClan, who had done this to her. She said she hated Mistykit for dying. She said hated herself for ruining her Clan. "Mother, Thistleclaw is teaching me how to hunt squirrels today!" Mosspaw announced. Her eyes were shining, but as always the glows in her eyes were extinguished at the sight of her mother. The she-cat had refused to let her kits become warriors because she claimed they "weren't ready". All the others had become warriors. Mosspaw knew it was because she hated seeing her living offspring exceed Mistykit so much. "That's nothing. Your sister was chasing badgers when she was just a kit. When she was alive." Bluefur snapped, unimpressed. Her eyes were, as ever, glazed over. Disappointed, Mosspaw shuffled away. "Good hunting, Mosspaw?" Thistleclaw asked brightly. Mosspaw purred. Thistleclaw was like a father, and now that Tigerpaw the apprentice had become a warrior, Thistleclaw was her mentor too. He cared much more than Bluefur. He obviously trusted her much more than her mother did. When they were kits, he had sent them on a mission to Twolegplace and Mosspaw knew he had been using them as bait for intruding ShadowClan warriors. All Bluefur had ever done for her was scold her for hurting the oh-so-precious Mistykit is a playfight. Mosspaw had loved Mistykit when she was alive. But she resented the dead Mistykit. That kit had stolen her mother. "Yeah, my assessment actually went okay!" she mewed excitedly. "Your mother must be delighted." Thistleclaw commented. "No, she never cares. How will I ever make her notice me?" "Oh, Mosspaw, Mosspaw. I understand. She always loved Mistykit more than you. She told Snowfur, my mate. I know how you feel, though; Poppydawn, my mother, never loved me. She really wanted she-kits, pretty she-kits to play with. She didn't want some scraggly old tom." Thistleclaw mewed. Mosspaw's eyes shone with empathy and understanding. "What did you do?" she whispered. "I showed her I was better than the others. I caught a fully grown badger and gave her the pelt. She was amazed! I was only an apprentice. Since that day, I was always her favourite. Even when Sweetpaw died, she loved me the most." Thistleclaw explained. Mosspaw fel gratitude and relief swarm her heart. He really did understand. But she couldn't do the same as him. "I'm a runt, Thistleclaw." she sighed, scuffing the dust with her paw. "Then don't kill a badger. Kill something stupid, something you hate. I know... how about your father?" Thistleclaw suggested. "I don't know who my father is." "Really? Didn't Bluefur tell you? Oh, that's unfair. I've known who it was for ages." Thistleclaw sounded surprised. "Who was it?" Mosspaw gasped. "I don't think I'm supposed..." "TELL ME!" she snapped. Thistleclaw purred. "You are not ThunderClan, my apprentice. You are half-clan filth. To stop yourself from being worse than crowfood, you must kill your father. Bluefur can only love you if she knows you are not half-Clan crowfood. Then she will see. She believes that the Riverclan came out in you and the Thunderclan came out in Stonepaw and Mistykit." Mosspaw felt like her heart was tearing in two. She wasn't even Thunderclan. She was nothing, just an unskilled wreck. An unloved, unwanted, friendless little half-clan runt. Even her brother ignored her. "Who was he? I swear I'll rip his throat out." "His name is Oakheart. He's a reddish brown tom." Mosspaw turned to run. It was time for Oakheart to die. ___________________________________________ Mosspaw "I'll show her." Mosspaw muttered. The forest became a mere blur of darkness as she pelted through the forest. Her mind was so focused on getting to Riverclan that she almost plunged into the icy depths of the stream. "Help!" she veered on the edge of the gushing black water. "Stop." a voice commanded, and she felt strong paws pulling her backwards. The stench of Riverclan filled her nostrils, making her want to vomit. "What do you want?" she hissed. "Pretty speech coming from a Thunderclan cat. Especially since she is firstly is in our ''territory, and secondly has just been rescued." the Riverclan warrior replied icily. "I would have been able to get out of that without your interference!" "Sure, sure." he mewed sarcastically. "And it's ''our ''territory. This is Sunningrocks, mousebrain!" Mosspaw snarled. To her shock, a Twoleg light switched on in the distance, giving her a dim view of the tom that had saved her. He was quite handsome, with a glossy, light brown coat and pale green eyes. But his jaw was viciously twisted, completely out of shape. It ruined his good looks. Mosspaw wondered what had happened. He had obviously deserved it. Then she realized. Starclan must favourThunderclan over the other clans, that was why they made life so difficult for her! That was why they had broken the tom's jaw. Riverclan scum didn't deserve their lives anyway, she thought bitterly. "It's our territory, mousebrain." the tom snarled. "Oh yeah, Wonkyjaw?" she hissed, relishing at his wince at her name for him. It obviously wasn't his real name. What cat would be so cruel to name an injured kit Wonkykit? The accident must have happened during kithood because he didn't seem too bothered at all, as if it was pain he was used to. Unfortunate. "You're obviously too stupid to know the names of your enemies. I'm Crookedjaw, Riverclan deputy, forestface! And you're obviously Tresspass-heart, or maybe Crowfood-brain." he hissed. "I'm an apprentice, fox dung! My name is Mosspaw. Is that too much for your tiny brain to take in?" she retorted. "Who's your mother? I just want to know which queen will be grieving by the time I've done with you." "I'm Mosspaw of ThunderClan, daughter of Bluefur and Oakheart, and sister of Stonepaw. Why, are you so ugly that you've had to start looking for a mate in other clans?" she replied. Crookedjaw's eyes opened wide. He ignored the insult. "Oakheart! Your father is Oakheart! Do you know him?" "I never knew him. I'd love to." she replied, trying to sound convincingly sad. "I can get him to come here, if you want! We're best friends. I can't believe I've met Oakheart's kit!" he exclaimed. The hostility in his tone was gone now. "Can you get him here? Really?" "Sure!" he padded away. Mosspaw could only hope he wasn't bringing a whole Riverclan patrol to drive her away, or worse. She waited, in suspense, for what seemed like a hundred moons. At last, she heard two cats padding over to Sunningrocks. "She looks just like her mother!" Crookedjaw was saying. She heard a mew of response. "...I don't believe it a word of it! This apprentice is obviously spying!" "I'll leave you in peace, shall I?" A reddish-brown tom stepped up to her. "I don't believe this story. You're spying, aren't you?" he hissed. Mosspaw shook her head. "No, father." Oakheart looked shocked. Their voices were so alike, it was frightening. Despite being the runt of the litter, Mosspaw's voice was surprrisingly strong. Her mew was deep and she had a tendency to add an infliction to the end of each mew, as if she was asking a question- even if she wasn't. Oakheart's voice, though masculine, was much alike hers. Their bodies were similar, though different colours. Mosspaw was white with grey splothes, and extremely agile. Even if she wasn't strong, she was swift as the wind. She was sly as a Leopardclan cat, lurking in the darkness. She could swim like a Riverclan cat and had the heart of a Thunderclan cat. She could have belonged to any clan. Oakheart was reddish-brown but had the same graceful agility and noble composition. They were so alike. "You really are... my... Bluefur's... daughter... aren't you?" Mosspaw nodded. "Go away." his voice was cold and uncaring. Mosspaw was horrified. She had expected love and attention! She had planned to trick him into thinking she was his innocent, unloved kit. She really was unloved now. "I hate her! I love her!" she cried out, slumping to the floor. Oakheart looked like he understood that, at least. "It must be hard having her as a mother." he padded up close to the tiny apprentice. Mosspaw took her chance. "It's even harder having you as a father!" she surprised the bigger warrior by pinning him to the floor. "My daughter." he choked out. "Not any more." she snarled, closing her tiny, pearly teeth around his neck. Oakheart's final words were mere gurgles. "I... love... you... Bluefur!" ______________________________________________________________________________________ Mosspaw knew she had to act quickly. Panicking, she dipped her paws in the stream to rid them of her father's blood. She realized that it was no good taking his pelt to her mother. Crookedjaw wouldn't hesitate to slice her open if he knew the truth. She noticed a pile of fox dung not far off and padded reluctantly in it. "What happened?" Crookedjaw raced into view, panting. "Oh, Crookedjaw. It was terrible! The fox... the claws... the blood!" she wailed. Crookedjaw looked shocked. "Oh, Starclan! He was so young. Why did he have to go?" he whispered. "My father!" Mosspaw cried. She was devastated, but not for the reasons Crookedjaw supposed. The plan had failed. She couldn't take the body home. "I'll kill that fox." Crookedjaw promised, and limped away determinedly. Mosspaw waited again, before her friend returned, dragging a fox pelt. "Can I have it? Bluefur would love to... you know. See what it was." Mosspaw had another idea. Crookedjaw nodded, understanding. "Go, young apprentice. I will bury him tomorrow, at moonhigh. You can come if you want. He ''was ''your father." he mewed. Mosspaw nodded. She dragged the fox pelt until she could hardly stand. After what seemed to be a moon of aching muscles, she collapsed at the heart of the Thunderclan camp. Only Thistleclaw was there. "Mosspaw, what happened? You look awful!" Thistleclaw exclaimed, pretending to be surprised. "A fox... Oakheart... dead... terrible." she wheezed. "What was that about Oakheart?" Bluefur snapped, racing out of the warrior's den. "Oh, Mother. I went hunting by the stream, and I heard a cry. It was... Oakheart. There was a fox! A fully grown fox. Oakheart... died there. I killed the fox. I killed it! Have the pelt. Burn it, for all I care. I know the truth now. I know who Oakheart was to me. And the fox killed him. He was my..." "Oakheart, no! Oh, my Oakheart. Thankyou, Mosspaw. You killed the creature who stole my mate." Bluefur whispered. "Mother, I'm sorry. I should have tried harder." "You did your best. Oakheart! Oh, Oakheart." she whimpered, before collapsing. "Mission accomplished." mouthed Thistleclaw, and Mosspaw couldn't help but agree. ________________________________________________________________________________ "Oakheart, I wish I had known you. Just once." Mosspaw whispered. Crookedjaw's eyes were dull. "You were the best friend I ever had. Now I have lost both you and Willowbreeze. And my kits, too. Five deaths. Oh, Mapleshade. You've won." he muttered. "Goodbye, my father." Mosspaw sighed with false depression. "I'll sit vigil on our side of the stream. You'd better go. If any Riverclan cat sees you, they will kill you, and I will be forced to join the killing. I don't want to kill Oakheart's kit. Go. " he hissed. "I'll see you at the gathering." Mosspaw dashed away. She was beginning to familiarize with the route from Riverclan to Thunderclan and no longer relied on the scent; she had come this way by accident several times as a kit. "Mosspaw, where were you? Why do you have Riverclan scent all over you?" Sunstar mewed suspiciously. He was in the middle of a clan meeting. "I'll tell you why. I'll tell you ALL why! Sunstar, please tell me. Is Sunningrocks territory of Thunderclan?" she asked quietly. "Yes." various members of the clan murmured, confused. "Then why is Riverclan gathering on it as if it belongs to them? And why are they using it as their own territory?" she yowled. Sunstar looked shocked. He had completely believed her lie. "Did they hurt you? Why are you covered in blood?" he mewed, concerned. Mosspaw glanced at her paws. They were stained with Oakheart's blood, from the burial. "I tried to drive them off. A big tom clawed me, but they went away after the fight." she told her leader. "We have to attack! We can't let them get away with this!" Thistleclaw demanded. "Thistleclaw, shut up." Bluefur yowled. "You shut up, fish-face!" he roared. The clan looked confused. "Thistleclaw, fish-faces are Riverclan warriors," Frostfur mewed in confusion. "Exactly. Because you know her kits? The ones whose true parentage she could never reveal? They are the kits of Bluefur of Thunderclan and Oakheart of Riverclan! It's true; Snowfur told me. We must exile the three csts whose loyalty sways to the river." Thistleclaw screeched. Mosspaw's heart raged with the fire of anger. Even her mentor had betrayed her. "Is this true?" Sunstar rounded on Bluefur. "No!" she cried. "You, Bluefur, are a traitor and a liar. You are hereby exiled from our clan. If any cat sees you on our territory after sunrise, they have my permission to kill you. Do you understand?" Sunstar snarled. "How could you?" Mosspaw hissed at her mentor. "I only befriended you because I had to get you to kill Oakheart. And why? Because I had to get my revenge on your mother, that's why!" he replied quietly, his eyes gleaming. "You can't exile me! I'm innocent!" she snarled. "Innocent? You were born guilty and you'll die guilty." Thistleclaw replied coolly. "Her kits are innocent. But Bluefur is no longer one of us. Leave our sight." Sunstar yowled. Bluefur did not move a muscle. Her eyes were icy cold and Mosspaw had never seen her mother so determined. "The apprentices are half-clan. No cat wants them here." Tigerclaw yowled. "My kits stay here." she mewed softly, but her tone was menacing. Sunstar nodded his head slightly, before hissing again. "Why are you making such a fuss? It was so long ago that she fell in love with Oakheart." Stonepaw protested, his eyes full of anger and his claws unsheathed. "I'll tell you why. Bluefur and I fought in the first Sunningrocks battle. She was only Bluepaw and I was only Sunfall. Her previous mentor, Stonepelt, had retired to the elders den early and I was her new mentor. She had tremendous skills and I was proud to teach her. At the battle, I was attacked by a Riverclan warrior and almost died. Bluepaw pulled her off me and I was able to deliver a killing blow." Sunstar's eyes had a faraway look. "That's a nice story, Sustar, but what does it have to do with exiling my sister for only one wrongdoing?" Snowfur snapped. "Let me finish. As the RiverClan warrior died- Flutterfoot, she was called, StarClan sent me a message through her dying body. She made me swear by StarClan to dispose of the thunder that lingers by the river. I was confused, for we were by the river and thunder was in the air. I had sworn to dispose of it but had no means to. The thunder passed and I was still unable to work out what the prophecy meant. Bluepaw grew into a beautiful young warrior and Pinestar left me as leader, but the prophecy still hung over me. Now I see. I swore by StarCan to dispose of my own apprentice! I could have ignored the omen if she was a deputy, a medicine cat, some cat of importance. But she isn't any of those things. So leave!" the clan was silent. "Why do we need the bratty kits?" Darkstripe drawled after what seemed like a hundred moons. Mosspaw could stand it no more. Unsheathing her claws, she leapt at her clanmate and tore at his fur. "Crowfood!" Tigerclaw tried to pull her away, but Stonepaw was ready. Leaping at the bigger warrior, he took Tigerclaw by surprise. The older tom fought ferociously but Stonepaw looked as if Starclan warriors themselves were backing him up. No cat dared intervene as they ripped each others pelts like cats of enemy clans. Darkstripe slumped to the floor and Mosspaw was able to simply watch her brother fight. "Stay with me!" she cried, dreading the seemingly inevitable crunch of fur and bones that was soon to come. For Stonepaw. Tigerclaw pinned Stonepaw down harshly. "Prepare to die!" he snarled. "Tigerclaw, no!" Goldenflower called desperately, but his unsheathed paw came down with crushing force. Mosspaw leapt at the warrior and, too enraged to think, slashed from his throat down to his stomach. Tigerclaw let out a kind of gurgling sound. "I... see... darkness..." he rasped. "Mosspaw!" Stonepaw cried out weakly. Mosspaw padded to his side. "Don't go." she pleaded softly. Their mother was gone but she heard her kin, Snowfur, and her cousin, Whitestorm, yowling in horror. The rest of the clan just watched, shocked. "I'm going.... name me... for StarClan..." he whispered. "StarClan, I don't know the ceremony. I'm going to have to do this differently. Maybe that's appropiate, as most things in our lives were different. I know I've done wrong, but my brother is innocent. Please take Stonepaw into your ranks by the name of Stonestrike," she mewed unevenly, her heart trembling. A rush of light almost blinded her, and she noticed a tiny cat before her. She was a misty grey-blue colour and her eyes were blue and icy cold. They were stony when they saw Mosspaw, probably because she knew of everything Mosspaw had done. The cat had stars in her fur, so it was likely. But the eyes were full of love when they saw Stonepaw- now known as Stonestrike. Mosspaw's heart ached for her dying brother and her heart also burned with guilt, for her sister knew of her wrongdoings. She hoped feverently that Stonestrike would like his name. It was a spur on the moment descision. She obviously couldn't choose Stonepelt because of the elder known by that name. Stonefur was too boring for her brave sibling, and Stoneheart didn't suit him. He didn't have a stony heart. He had stricken Tigerclaw from the world. Stonestrike was to be his name. "Come, my brother. StarClan awaits." she murmured. Stonestrike didn't move. His body was stiff and bathed in blood. Mosspaw nudged him urgently, and a rush of light shot from his body. A ghostly image of her brother appeared against the crimson sundown. He had stars in his fur. "Goodbye, my sister." he spoke softly, as the siblings faded into the air. "You killed Tigerclaw!" Thistleclaw didn't seem bothered about the death of the apprentice. "Traitor!" howled Darkstripe, his eyes full of fear and anger. He lay on the ground, his wounds seeping blood. "That's quite enough of this nonsense. Mosspaw, you are exiled under the same conditions as your mother. Now, Darkstripe, go and see Featherwhisker. Whitestorm, I would like you to lead a patrol to Sunningrocks and see if the ex-apprentice was telling the truth. Check Bluefur has left the territory, okay? The vigil for Tigerclaw is tonight." Sunstar announced. Mosspaw was frozen, her eyes wide open. Exiled before warriorhood! She would never even get her warrior name. Her whole family was either dead or wishing that she was dead. Or thinking with the brains of a dead mouse; Bluefur had truly lost her mind now. This was all Oakhearts fault! Oakheart's and Bluefur's. If they hadn't gone and betrayed the warrior code, she could have been born to good parents. she wouldn't have had to kill Oakheart and she would have been accepted into Starclan when she died. She would be accepted by Thunderclan, with many caring, live siblings. Her mentor wouldn't hate her and betray her. She could have friends that didn't whisper about her mental mother. Flames of rage consuming her heart, she turned to go. But a wall of cats stopped her. "Crowfood! Crowfood!" Longpaw and Darkstripe cried. Mosspaw tried to flee, but furious cats blocked her. Soon, the whole clan took up the chant. "Crowfood! Crowfood!" they yowled. Mosspaw desperately tried to escape but she found no way to flee past these cats. "Crowfood!" Thunderclan screeched, the cries becoming louder. Mosspaw let out a screech but the cats were not silenced. "No." she muttered inaudibly, before turning to pad slowly away through the gorse tunnel. The chants did not stop, and before she knew it, she was racing. She couldn't stay here. This was a place of happinessmemories as painful as a red-hot piece of burning wood. Crookedjaw. ___________________________________________________________________ Mosspaw crouched by the stream. She would keep her name till she left the clans althogether. "Crookedjaw?" she hissed. There was no reply. Sighing, she closed her eyes and counted ten heartbeats. It was no use being impatient. She would have to wait. "Crookedjaw?" she whispered again. The only reply was the gushing of the midnight black water beside her. "...and I don't know why Hailstar let the loner go, but I guess he is our leader." she could faintly hear a couple of Riverclan cats drawing nearer, but she didn't feel frightened. They would have no way of knowing she was there. She had run through Shadowclan territory before coming here, and her own smell was disguised by Shadowclan stench. "Can you smell something?" a she-cat implored. Mosspaw couldn't help but wince. "That something is called intruders!" a tom snarled. Crookedjaw wasn't there. "Leave them, Brownclaw. We have to hunt for the sick cats. The crowfood can clear off now, and we'll pretend this never happened." the she-cat hissed. "I'm worried, Greenflower. Crookedjaw's gone beyond the mountains to find medicine. I don't think he will ever return" Brownclaw sighed. Mosspaw's eyes stretched wide. Her heart sank. Crookedjaw was gone. She would have to go alone. Sighing, she turned to go, muttering the song that Mistykit taught her when they were happy, innocent kits. The mountains doth stand bare and bleak, Barren as the winter night, The sunlight thief's beautiful peak, Blocks beyond this land from sight, In this world where the injust fire, Blazes through the forest, ''Beyond the mountain lies my sweet desire, A cat noble and honest, Beyond the mountain my sweetheart dotes, His fur gleaming in light, Beyond the mountain, beyond the woe, There is another sight, So when I am afraid and alone, Floating adrift without love true, When sadness chills me to the bone, I know, beyond the mountain, I have you. __________________________________________________________________________ Mosspaw padded along the Twoleg street. Her paws ached from the bone-hard ground. Her stomach rumbled but the only prey available was a selection of scrawny gray birds with beady red eyes and so much disease that Mosspaw could even smell it. Eating any of those would be certain death. She was afraid and alone. The apprentice was used to a life full of cats. In Thunderclan, it was hard to be alone. There was always a cat to argue with, a cat to chat to. But here, Mosspaw was as vunerable as a fish out of the water. The slightest movements startled her. This felt like a strange, frightening dream that was real. She missed clan life. She would never feel the glow of friendship again, even if though she hadn't really bonded with any Thunderclan cats anyway. There would be no first warrior ceremony, no first gathering. She'd lose the chance to gain skills in peace. The feeling of racing through the trees with the wind breathing on her face and her paws skimming the soft ground. The scent of fresh kill wafting towards her. It was all gone. But worst of all, there was the thirst. Water had not touched her parched lips since she left Thunderclan, three dawns ago. She had already tried to go beyond the mountains but had been too weak to consider trying the climb. Her throat was more as dry as bone. She needed water but the sun bore down on her tired body mercilessly. "Hey, half-cat!" she heard a growl, and suddenly felt herself being bowled over. Furious, Mosspaw climbed to her feet and swiped at her attacker viciously. Her claw scraped at her opponent's eye, and the attacker wailed in pain. "Who are you calling half-cat?" Mosspaw rasped. She pinned the attacker down. It was a tom. He had a filthy, white-yellow pelt with gray spotches. One eye was missing and his ears were scratched and scarred. "Gerroff!" he grumbled, trying to wriggle free. Mosspaw tightened her grip. "Why should I do that?" she hissed, The tom snarled. "Don't you know who I am? I am the great Ripper! I eat cats your size for breakfast. Literally. I am the greatest fighter here!" he hissed back. Mosspaw was confused. If he was such a good fighter, how had a weak, ex-apprentice she-cat managed to beat him? Suddenly, she realized. He'd never been trained, nor had any other street cat. This tom had learned to fight for himself outside of the safety and education Mosspaw had been given. And she'd thrown that all away. Well, Bluefur and Oakheart had thrown it away for her. "You eat cats? Unlikely." she commented. "Look, little High-And-Mighty. I killed my father because he abandoned me. I killed my mother because she loved my sister more. I killed my sister because she tried to kill me. I killed my best friend because he ran away with the she-cat I loved. Am I really too noble to eat a cat?" he spat. Disgusted, Mosspaw delivered a crushing blow. The tom snarled as blood seeped from his wound, but it was too late. His single eye glazed over and Ripper lay still. Mosspaw looked at what she had done. No emotions came to her. There was no joy, no triumph, no fear. Not even sorrow. In fact, she didn't even bother to bury him. He was just another tom. What mattered now was finding something to drink. She considered Ripper's blood, but decided against it. Starclan knew what diseases he carried. No, Starclan didn't know. This was beyond Starclan. "You killed Ripper!" a large grey tom rushed to greet the thirsty ex-apprentice. Mosspaw, not wanting attention, turned to go, but a whole array of ragged cats swarmed round her, blocking her path. "Well, yes. I did kill him" Mosspaw mewed, breathing an inward sigh of reluctance. "Thankyou!" he breathed, his eyes shining. There were yowls of agreement. "He was our leader. At first he was respected. Then his life became tragedy and he became as evil as a truck." a ginger she-cat explained. Mosspaw wasn't sure what a "truck" was, but she guessed it had something to do with the Twolegs that swarmed these streets. "Evil as a truck? Huh! Stop underdescribing him, Carrots! Tell the cat about Scarlett." another voice called. "My sister, Scarlett, was kitting in leafbare. She hid in a tree while she had the kits, because if a Twoleg saw her, it would take her away. Ripper killed her and left the kits in the bush. When we found them, one of the kits had died of the cold. There was only one left, Flip." Carrot's eyes were full of pain as she told her story. She nodded in the direction of a pale tabby tom, who stepped forward. "I'm Flip. Ripper chewed off my right ear and I could never hear properly again. My mate, Ducks, had kits. The group was hungry; there was no prey. Ducks and I went to look, and when we came back, our kit wasn't there. There was a pile of bones. Ripper had decided to have a snack." Flip unsheathed his claws at the memory. "He killed Genie. He was my sister's kit. He was the only surviving kit in the litter. When my sister was dying, she made me promise to protect him with my life. I failed." "And Claws. He was my only living relative. He was my father's father, and so old that he could remember the times before Twolegs came here. " "Salvager was my mate. I loved him more than my life. He wasn't weak or foolish, but his heart was too big for a street cat's life. He rescued Ripper from a Twoleg nest, and Ripper killed him for making it look as if he couldn't have escaped unaided." "Cream was the most beautiful cat in the world, and she died hating me. We had an argument, and I called her ugly and cowardly. She didn't know I loved her, but I love her so much that it burns. Ripper tortured her, and her dying words were ''I love him, but he hates me. I will never rest in peace.' ''She never knew." One by one, each cat in the group described the deaths of loved ones who died because of the former tyrant. Mosspaw was suddenly glad she had killed the tom. "I'm happy to have helped you. But I have a request." Mosspaw mewed. "Anything! Ask for anything!" yowled various members of the Group. "Is there a stream nearby?" she enquired. The cats looked amazed. Mosspaw guessed that they were used to high demands and had not anticipated such a simple price. That disappointed her. She could have demanded so much from them, and these cats wouldn't have so much as blinked. "Yes, come on. We've got to go quickly, or the other Groups will get there first. What did you say your name was, again?" Carrots turned to lead her away. A smoky black tom padded up to the ginger she-cat, and they entwined tails. Mosspaw supposed that they must be mates. As they padded through the sweltering heat, the yound she-cat could not help but think of her clan. What were they doing now? Was Redtail still teasing Snowfur about her wonky tail, which had been broken by a Twoleg monster? Would Graykit be hiding in the fresh-kill pile again? Would Stonepaw's vigil be tonight or had it already happened? Would he even have a vigil? Was Crookedjaw back? Had he missed her at the gathering? She knew it was nearly sundown, so the evening patrol would be leaving about now. The newborn, sandy-coloured kit that Willowpelt had just kitted, she would be exploring the nursery by now. Grateful for the help, Mosspaw licked the smooth surface of the water. It was heaven. The fire was extinguished, and she gulped it like it was Oakheart's blood. She would have loved to drink that, too. It had looked so appetising, but she hadn't wanted Crookedjaw to see. "Oh... uh...I'm Mossblossom." Mosspaw lied. She decided that this was the name she would live by from now on. The fact that she was still alive suggested that she was ready for a warrior name anyway. "Sure. Would you care to lead us, by any chance?" Flip sounded hopeful. Mossblossom shook her head. She had always wanted to be Moss-star the gloriful leader of Thunderclan, but all of a sudden, being a leader seemed too much to handle. "I think I'll leave at dawn." she decided. Carrots purred uncertaintly. "Wow, Mossblossom. I never imagined that our saviour would be a joker!" she mewed. "A joker? What?" "Once a cat has been on our territory, they are an intruder and Group Law says that intruders must be killed." Flip's eyes narrowed, and she sensed his fury. "We know you'll stay." Carrots tried to sound conviced, but the strain in her voice revealed her doubt. Mossblossom knew that it would greatly upset Carrots if her group's Saviour died at their own paws. "There's no need to attack. I have a deal for you. As I'm the saviour, you could make a special exception and let me go. I'll never set paw in your territory again. I saved you, so you're in debt. Could you honestly live your whole lives with the burning guilt of knowing that you killed your own saviour?" Mossblossom tried to emotianally persuade the cats, and to her satisfaction, Carrots looked "I'm sorry, Mossblossom. But intruders must be killed." Carrot stepped towards Mossblossom, who stepped away. The whole Group took another step forward. "Long live the saviour, but short live the intruder." Flip snarled, and the Group attacked. Mossblossom threw Flip away and charged through the wall of cats before her. She managed to throw off the attackers who tried to stop her. She raced away from the lake, her heart thundering against her ribs. The ground was a blur, the world was a haze. She had to escape. She had to. Claws closed around her throat. Mossblossom shrieked and batted them away, but they stayed fastened there. "Stop!" she screeched, lunging wildly at the owner of the claws. He didn't budge. He didn't strike, either. Confused, Mossblossom twisted to see who it was. When she saw, she didn't greet him or tell him to get off. She didn't threaten him. She didn't react simply because she was too scared. Before her stood the cat that could make the difference between life and death for Mossblossom. _________________________________________________________________ "I am Fear." the cat mewed simply. "What do you want?" Mossblossom hissed. The cat did not reply. He looked somehow familiar, although it would be hard to forget the hideous appearance of the cat. He had amber eyes and unusually long front claws. The cat looked frighteningly like Tigerclaw, except his pelt was a filthy white-yellow colour with grey splotches. Only his paws were brown and a strip of oak hung over his heart. Death had a part of every cat Mossblossom had ever killed. "Tigerclaw... Ripper... Oakheart." the young she-cat whispered. Her heart was so frozen that ice would seem warm in comparison. "I am your greatest fear, Mossblossom. As you kill, I will become more. I will visit you always. Fear will always be with you!" he raised a claw. The cat radiated fear like a sun radiates light. Mossblossom turned to run. She could hear the Group had fallen behind, they were not as physically fit as she was. But that didn't matter now. Mossblossom ran faster than a Twoleg monster. Her paws stopped being paws and turned into the wind. Her heart stopped being a heart and turned into a pounding Twoelg drum. Her legs stopped being legs and became lightning. She had never been so afraid in her life. That cat... he had been worse than a nightmare. Previous fears had no meaning compared to him. She would never feel frightened of anything but Fear from now on. How had he been created? Was this another cruel trick of Starclan? Or was she losing her mind? Mossblossom could find no answer. "Hey, careful where you're going!" a cat snapped. Mossblossom did not jump. She felt no fear any more. It had faded in comparison to what she had just experienced. "Sorry." she wasn't sorry at all. "It's okay." the cat sounded nice enough. He was a large black and white tom with friendly eyes and sleek fur. A kittypet, probably. "I'm sorry, I don't have time for pampered kittypets. I've got to go." Mossblossom snapped. The tom looked somewhat disappointed. "You don't have to go. I'm Barley, by the way. What's your name?" he mewed. Mossblossom looked reluctantly past the barn she had aimlessley run to. There was no hope of getting past this over-friendly kittypet. "I'm Watershine." Mossblossom lied. She didn't want to tell her real name, because if the Group came looking for her, Barley would surely tell them that a certain Mossblossom had passed by. And then she would have to kill them and Fear would become even worse. "What a nice name! Your parents were obviously very inventive, unlike mine. Honestly, couldn't they think of anything more original than Barley?" he rolled his eyes. Little did he know that his words hit as hard as a stone. "Yes, they were very inventive indeed." Mossblossom lied. "Come to the barn! I'd love to hear about your life." Barley exclaimed eagerly. Reluctant, Mossblossom followed Barley into the huge Twoleg building. She was relieved to see that none of the strange furless creatures were there, although she could tell that they had been there recently. "Well, my mother was called Opalslash." Mossblossom began. "So the cool names run in the family?" Barley exclaimed. She suddenly realized that Barley was not a kittypet at all, but a loner. Just like herself. "I guess it was a family tradition. Anyway, she fell in love with a tom named Clawheart, and they had a kit named... uh... Mistypool. At first, Mistypool was the sweetest little kit any she-cat could ever want. But she became spoilt and arrogant. She asked for anything and Opalslash was too young and inexperienced as a parent to refuse. One day, she asked Clawheart to break into a Twoleg nest and get her a dog's collar." Mossblossom improvised. Barley nodded for her to continue, enthralled by her tale. "Clawheart was captured and killed by the Twolegs. Mistypool was devastated- but only because she hadn't been given her promised collar. Opalslash realized that her daughter's heart had darkened. Mistypool became more and more demanding, until one day, she fell in love with a rogue named Ripper. Opalslash left them together and found herself a tom named Oakstream." "Your father?" Barley guessed. "Yes. They had me and my sister, Silverpelt. We were happy for a bit, but one day Silverpelt fell in a stream. Oakstream tried to save her but they both drowned. Opalslash died of a broken heart." Mossblossom sighed. Barley looked sympathetic. "You poor thing! With nowhere to go... you know, you're more than welcome to stay here. I've been lonely for moons since my mate died. Her name was Rosie. She was really pretty. Just like you." he mentioned shyly. Mossblossom backed away. "I'm sorry, I'm already taken," she lied. Barley looked disappointed. "By who?" "A.. uh... tom." Mossblossom tried to make up a name. But the only name that came to her was "Crookedjaw." ______________________________________________________________________________________ "So, tell me a little more about yourself," Barley mewed. Mossblossom cringed. Barley seemed nice- really nice, actually. He'd make a good friend. It was difficult to watch him in pain. "More? Good StarClan, Barley. What more do you want to know?" she replied. The black-and-white tom shrugged. "Tell me about how you found me," he said. The she-cat mewed in amusement. "I walked." Barley, who had obviously been expecting a tale of heroics and hardship, purred roughly. "Did you hunt? Can you hunt? I could teach you how to catch rats, if you like," he suggested eagerly. Mossblossom shook her head. "No, I can't hunt. Except from rabbits, squirrels, mice, rats, water voles, sparrows, robins and pretty much every other type of bird that was ever born...." Mossblossom enjoyed the look of awe on Barley's face. "Wow, and I thought that I was impressive with my rat-catching. Can you really hunt all those animals? Maybe you should teach me a thing or two! I've always wanted to be able to catch squirrels. They look so tender! Could you teach me?" his eyes glowed. The rogue she-cat burst out into purrs again. "Barley, you're a terrible liar. You don't care about squirrels at all, do you? To be honest, I don't, either. The bushy tails get in the way. Let's go and catch a mouse. You've never lived until you've had one..." she mewed. Barley nodded. Little did they know that Mossblossom's light suggestion of fun would be the start of a time of darkness... ________________________________________________________________________________________ A black-and-white tom and a grey-and-white she-cat crept silently out of the barn. Their pelts brushed every so often. "Are you sure about this?" Mossblossom whispered. Barley nodded. "So, what do squirrels smell like?" he asked. To her horror, Mossblossom realized how hard it was to remember. "I haven't eaten one for moons, Barley. The streets are full of crowfood, but there are hardly any squirrels outside of the forest. I guess they're like rats. Like.... furry rats," she concluded. It was a hopeless explanation, but there was no putting Barley off the hunt. ''He really likes me, Mossblossom thought guiltily.'' If only he knew the things that I'm capable of... ''she shook her head wildly. Barley didn't have to know any more than he did. If she had to, she would kill him. No problem. "I'm guessing that they're harder to hunt, though," the tom guessed. His amber eyes shone with excitement. "Yes, they are, actually. Rats have very strong scents, and they don't blend in with their surroundings very well. Squirrels are fast. You have to have a good eye to spot them," she said. Barley nodded. "How do you go about catching them?" he asked. Mossblossom tried to think. "You... you can't chase them. You have to lure them into your paws. It's usually better to hunt with a partner..." her heart began to sink at the delight in Barley's eyes. (TBC)